Rose Lavelle named to NWSL team of the month for May

Boston Breakers midfielder Rose Lavelle has once again been named to the NWSL team of the month, this time for May.

May XI: Kailen Sheridan (Sky Blue), Casey Short (Chicago), Becky Sauerbrunn (Kansas City), Samantha Johnson (Chicago), Sarah Killion (Sky Blue), Rose Lavelle (Boston), Amandine Henry (Portland), Danielle Colaprico (Chicago), Samantha Kerr (Sky Blue), Christen Press (Chicago), Nahomi Kawasumi (Seattle)

This marks the second month in a row that Lavelle has been voted one of the best in her position in the league, after she made the team of the month in April. It’s high praise for a rookie, although befitting someone who went #1 in the draft and had such heavy expectations pinned on her before she ever set foot on the field.

Can Lavelle keep this up all season? Every player has ups and downs, and Portland showed last weekend it’s very possible to mark her out of a game. Still, even that level of consideration from an enemy team is high praise, and pulling midfielders in should give Boston room to operate more on the flanks. Lavelle’s immense value to Boston is probably only beginning to pay out; we’ll see how her record plays out over the course of a full season.